The present invention relates generally to shock absorbers for preventing damage to a component housing. More particularly, the invention relates to shock absorbers for use in electronic devices for testing automobiles.
In computing devices, such as personal computers, main frames, lap top computers, pocket PC""s, personal digital assistants, portable analog or digital analyzers, and the like, there is a need for portable components that the primary user may use to connect to on-board computer monitoring systems such as those located in automobiles. These portable components are designed to eliminate the need for connecting wires and other related peripheral devices such as a mouse, a printer, a display, a modem, or a disk drive, or other peripheral plug in devices. These peripheral devices are especially prone to failure or damage due to dust, dirt, oil or grease or other hazards located in an automotive repair shop. In addition, the electronic components themselves are prone to shock damage as well.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,867,369 to Antonuccio et al., describes computer housing that protects electronic components from shock and vibration. In general, this patent describes the influences that sudden shock may have on the various computer components, particularly the disk drives. Here the computer system is protected by a housing that resists flexion and thereby protects electronic components from damage. However, such a system is not ideal for automotive repair shop usage due to its size.
Thus, despite the advantages that a portable testing device may offer, such components themselves may be prone to damage, particularly due to component housing breakage if the component housing is not capable of withstanding a drop from a workbench or from tools hitting the portable component. In light of the foregoing, there is a need for a shock protection that will provide resistance to external shocks that cause component housing breakage and/or electronic component damage.
The foregoing need for a mechanism for providing resistance to external impacts is satisfied to a great extent by the present invention which utilizes a shock absorbing keypad and an elastomeric member that acts as a shock absorber both of which prevent damage to a component housing. These shock absorbing elements provide the advantage of preventing damage to the component housing and internal components.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned from the practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the apparatus particularly pointed out in the written description and the claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described, in one aspect of the invention an elastomeric keypad is provided having a spherical projection extending from the back surface. The spherical member abuts a circuit board on one side and the circuit board is supported on an opposite side by a post secured to the device frame.
In another aspect of the invention, an elastomeric member comprising a top face surface is provided, this top face surface is contactable with a bottom edge of a top housing component, a bottom face surface, the bottom face surface is contactable with a top edge of a bottom housing component, an exterior face surface, an interior face surface, a plurality of runners, the plurality of runners extending inward from the interior face surface and a plurality of washers, the plurality of washers located at the interior terminus of the plurality of runners.
In another aspect of the invention, the elastomeric member is constructed from rubber, synthetic rubber, latex, isoprene, butadiene, santoprene, eurothene, neoprene, or cork.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described below and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein, as well as the abstract included below, are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.